evolution and ethics and other essays-第13章

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progenitors　and　collaterals。　So　we　may　justly　say　that　this
〃character〃this　moral　and　intellectual　essence　of　a　mandoes
veritably　pass　over　from　one　fleshly　tabernacle　to　another；　and　does
really　transmigrate　from　generation　to　generation。　In　the　new…born
infant；　the　character　of　the　stock　lies　latent；　and　the　Ego　is　little
more　＇62＇　than　a　bundle　of　potentialities。　But；　very　early；　these
become　acutalities；　from　childhood　to　age　they　manifest　themselves　in
dulness　or　brightness；　weakness　or　strength；　viciousness　or
uprightness；　and　with　each　feature　modified　by　confluence　with　another
character；　if　by　nothing　else；　the　character　passed　on　to　its
incarnation　in　new　bodies。

The　Indian　philosophers　called　character；　as　thus　defined；
〃karma。〃＇Note　6＇　It　is　this　karma　which　passed　from　life　to　life　and
linked　them　in　the　chain　of　transmigrations；　and　they　held　that　it　is
modified　in　each　life；　not　merely　by　confluence　of　parentage；　but　by
its　own　acts。　They　were；　in　fact；　strong　believers　in　the　theory；　so
much　disputed　just　at　present；　of　the　hereditary　transmission　of
acquired　characters。　That　the　manifestation　of　the　tendencies　of　a
character　may　be　greatly　facilitated；　or　impeded；　by　conditions；　of
which　self…discipline；　or　the　absence　of　it；　are　among　the　most
important；　is　indubitable；　but　that　the　character　itself　is　modified
in　this　way　is　by　no　means　so　certain；　it　is　not　so　sure　that　the
transmitted　character　of　an　evil　liver　is　worse；　or　that　of　a
righteous　man　better；　than　that　which　he　received。　Indian　philosophy；
however；　did　not　admit　of　any　doubt　on　this　subject；　the　belief　in　the
influence　of　conditions；　notably　of　self…discipline；　on　the　karma　was
not　merely　a　necessary　postulate　of　its　theory　of　retribution；　but　it
presented　＇63＇　the　only　way　of　escape　from　the　endless　round　of
transmigrations。

The　earlier　forms　of　Indian　philosophy　agreed　with　those　prevalent　in
our　own　times；　in　supposing　the　existence　of　a　permanent　reality；　or
〃substance；〃　beneath　the　shifting　series　of　phenomena；　whether　of
matter　or　of　mind。　The　substance　of　the　cosmos　was　〃Brahma；〃　that　of
the　individual　man　〃Atman；〃　and　the　latter　was　separated　from　the
former　only；　if　I　may　so　speak；　by　its　phenomenal　envelope；　by　the
casing　of　sensations；　thoughts　and　desires；　pleasures　and　pains；　which
make　up　the　illusive　phantasmagoria　of　life。　This　the　ignorant　take
for　reality；　their　〃Atman〃　therefore　remains　eternally　imprisoned　in
delusions；　bound　by　the　fetters　of　desire　and　scourged　by　the　whip　of
misery。　But　the　man　who　has　attained　enlightenment　sees　that　the
apparent　reality　is　mere　illusion；　or；　as　was　said　a　couple　of
thousand　years　later；　that　there　is　nothing　good　nor　bad　but　thinking
makes　it　so。　If　the　cosmos　is　just　〃and　of　our　pleasant　vices　makes
instruments　to　scourge　us；〃　it　would　seem　that　the　only　way　to　escape
from　our　heritage　of　evil　is　to　destroy　that　fountain　of　desire　whence
our　vices　flow；　to　refuse　any　longer　to　be　the　instruments　of　the
evolutionary　process；　and　withdraw　from　the　struggle　for　existence。　If
the　karma　is　modifiable　by　self…discipline；　if　its　coarser　desires；
one　after　another；　can　be　extinguished；　the　ultimate　＇64＇　fundamental
desire　of　self…assertion；　or　the　desire　to　be；　may　also　be　destroyed。
＇Note　7＇　Then　the　bubble　of　illusion　will　burst；　and　the　freed
individual　〃Atman〃　will　lose　itself　in　the　universal　〃Brahma。〃

Such　seems　to　have　been　the　pre…Buddhistic　conception　of　salvation；　and
of　the　way　to　be　followed　by　those　who　would　attain　thereto。　No　more
thorough　mortification　of　the　flesh　has　ever　been　attempted　than…that
achieved　by　the　Indian　ascetic　anchorite；　no　later　monachism　has　so
nearly　succeeded　in　reducing　the　human　mind　to　that　condition　of
impassive　quasi…somnambulism；　which；　but　for　its　acknowledged
holiness；　might　run　the　risk　of　being　confounded　with　idiocy。

And　this　salvation；　it　will　be　observed；　was　to　be　attained　through
knowledge；　and　by　action　based　on　that　knowledge；　just　as　the
experimenter；　who　would　obtain　a　certain　physical　or　chemical　result；
must　have　a　knowledge　of　the　natural　laws　involved　and　the　persistent
disciplined　will　adequate　to　carry　out　all　the　various　operations
required。　The　supernatural；　in　our　sense　of　the　term；　was　entirely
excluded。　There　was　no　external　power　which　could　affect　the　sequence
of　cause　and　effect　which　gives　rise　to　karma；　none　but　the　will　of
the　subject　of　the　karma　which　could　put　an　end　to　it。

Only　one　rule　of　conduct　could　be　based　upon　the　remarkable　theory　of
which　I　have　endeavoured　to　give　a　reasoned　outline。　It　was　folly　to
continue　＇65＇　to　exist　when　an　overplus　of　pain　was　certain；　and　the
probabilities　in　favour　of　the　increase　of　misery　with　the
prolongation　of　existence；　were　so　overwhelming。　Slaying　the　body　only
made　matters　worse；　there　was　nothing　for　it　but　to　slay　the　soul　by
the　voluntary　arrest　of　all　its　activities。　　Property；　social　ties；
family　affections；　common　companionship；　must　be　abandoned；　the　most
natural　appetites；　even　that　for　food；　must　be　suppressed；　or　at　least
minimized；　until　all　that　remained　of　a　man　was　the　impassive；
extenuated；　mendicant　monk；　self…hypnotised　into　cataleptic　trances；
which　the　deluded　mystic　took　for　foretastes　of　the　final　union　with
Brahma。

The　founder　of　Buddhism　accepted　the　chief　postulates　demanded　by　his
predecessors。　But　he　was　not　satisfied　with　the　practical　annihilation
involved　in　merging　the　individual　existence　in　the　unconditionedthe
Atman　in　Brahma。　It　would　seem　that　the　admission　of　the　existence　of
any　substance　whatevereven　of　the　tenuity　of　that　which　has　neither
quality　nor　energy　and　of　which　no　predicate　whatever　can　be
assertedappeared　to　him　to　be　a　danger　and　a　snare。　Though　reduced
to　a　hypostatized　negation；　Brahma　was　not　to　be　trusted；　so　long　as
entity　was　there；　it　might　conceivably　resume　the　weary　round　of
evolution；　with　all　its　train　of　immeasurable　miseries。　Gautama　got
rid　of　even　that　＇66＇　shade　of　a　shadow　of　permanent　existence　by　a
metaphysical　tour　de　force　of　great　interest　to　the　student　of
philosophy；　seeing　that　it　supplies　the　wanting　half　of　Bishop
Berkeley's　well…known　idealistic　argument。

Granting　the　premises；　I　am　not　aware　of　any　escape　from　Berkeley's
conclusion；　that　the　〃substance〃　of　matter　is　a　metaphysical　unknown
quantity；　of　the　existence　of　which　there　is　no　proof。　What　Berkeley
does　not　seem　to　have　so　clearly　perceived　is　that　the　non…existence
of　a　substance　of　mind　is　equally　arguable；　and　that　the　result　of　the
impartial　applications　of　his　reasonings　is　the　reduction　of　the　All
to　coexistences　and　sequences　of　phenomena；　beneath　and　beyond　which
there　is　nothing　cognoscible。　It　is　a　remarkable　indication　of　the
subtlety　of　Indian　speculation　that　Gautama　should　have　seen　deeper
than　the　greatest　of　modern　idealists；　though　it　must　be　admitted
that；　if　some　of　Berkeley's　reasonings　respecting　the　nature　of　spirit
are　pushed　home；　they　reach　pretty　much　the　same　conclusion。　＇Note　8＇

Accepting　the　prevalent　Brahminical　doctrine　that　the　whole　cosmos；
celestial；　terrestrial；　and　infernal；　with　its　population　of　gods　and
other　celestial　beings；　of　sentient　animals；　of　Mara　and　his　devils；
is　incessantly　shifting　through　recurring　cycles　of　production　and
destruction；　in　each　of　which　every　human　being　has　his　transmigratory
＇67＇　representative；　Gautama　proceeded　to　eliminate　substance
altogether；　and　to　reduce　the　cosmos　to　a　mere　flow　of　sensations；
emotions；　volitions；　and　thoughts；　devoid　of　any　substratum。　As；　on
the　surface　of　a　stream　of　water；　we　see　ripples　and　whirlpools；　which
last　for　a　while　and　then　vanish　with　the　causes　that　gave　rise　to
them；　so　what　seem　individual　existences　are　mere　temporary
associations　of　phenomena　circling　round　a　centre；　〃like　a　dog　tied　to
a　post。〃　In　the　whole　universe　there　is　nothing　permanent；　no　eternal
substance　either　of　mind　or　of　matter。　Personality　is　a　metaphysical
fancy；　and　in　very　truth；　not　only　we；　but　all　things；　in　the　worlds
without　end　of　the　cosmic　phantasmagoria；　are　such　stuff　as　dreams　are
made　of。

What　then　becomes